“True,” said Jonas; “I see. I advise you to give it up.”
“Yes,” said Rollo, “the wood is so hard.”
“O, no,” said Jonas; “that is no great trouble—you could easily manage that.”
“But then I can’t hold it.”
“That is of no consequence either. I could tell you a way to hold it well enough.”
“What is the reason, then, why you think I had better give up?”
“Because you have not patience enough.”
Rollo stood silent and thoughtful as Jonas said this, with his piece of wood in one hand, and his hatchet in the other.
“It takes a great deal of patience to make a thing which we never made before.”